In the fifth grade we were encouraged to study an instrument. Afterall, anything is better than the flutaphone, which is what we played in the 4th grade. I chose the flute because...well...because it was a "girl's" instrument. I can't believe that I hafta fuss at parents who choose the flute for their daughters or discourage their sons from the flute for the same reason. I made the decision to be a musician after watching Elton John on T.V., in the early 70s.

When i was 8 my cousin gave me her collection of Beatle 45's an LP's (wish i still had them)
Then i watched Yellow submarine and A Hard day's night... that pretty much did for me.
Patti Boyd may have had something to do with it as well.

Tough question. I've always played instruments when available, like my grandmother's piano, the band instruments at her church, keyboards, harmonica, etc. I sang in bands during the 80's because all I could afford was a cheap microphone.

I remember when I was 12 trying to decide whether to save up money for pursuing guitar or bass. I built my first guitar from scrap wood. I found the second in someone's garbage. My dad bought me a cheap Mexican one at a flea market for my third. I later cannibalized the best parts from it and the garbage find to make a Frankenstein guitar. I kind of decided to go for BOTH guitar and bass by the late 1980's. I bought a 70's Gibson Ripper for $75 dollars at a music store. Someone added a P-Bass P/U in the middle. 1960's Guild Thunderbass Head for $100 and a Crate 4x12 cab w/tweeter. The beauty of that amp was it had inputs for BOTH guitar and bass. Later, I tried 70's Hagstrom and Fender Tele Deluxe guitars. Got a brand spanking new Fender Strat "Floyd Rose Classic" in the 90's. Got an AMAZINGLY good deal on a Rickenbacker 4001 bass about the same time. I think I only paid $175 for it! I eventually had to sell all my music gear and most of my record collection a couple years ago, to stave off homelessness. I have gradually been rebuilding my arsenal, even adding trumpet and drums.

Turning Junk Into Punk Since 1985!

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench; a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -Hunter S. Thompson

But to the question at hand:
For me this music thing was tied to two things: I despised the thought of devoting my life to working boring jobs, and Keith Richard. The guy was cool and I figured out a huge thing watching him play.

to wit - it ain't about making some chord or the other. to paraphrase Marshal Suvorov - the left hand is a bitch - the right hand is a soldier! It's all about rythm. What we do with the pick matters more than just pushing fat fingers over a few strings.